Toronto, Ont. – The Ontario Hockey League today announced Top Performers of the Week for the week of regular season games ending Sunday, February 27, 2022.
Bulldogs’ Logan Morrison Named OHL Player of the Week
Hamilton Bulldogs forward Logan Morrison is the OHL Player of the Week with four goals, nine assists and 13 points in four games along with a plus/minus rating of plus-10.
Morrison earns player of the week recognition for the second time in three weeks, recording four consecutive multi-point games as the Bulldogs climbed to top spot in the Ontario Hockey League. Morrison had a goal and two assists on Family Day as Hamilton defeated Erie 7-2. He followed up with two goals and two assists on Friday, earning first star honours as the Bulldogs defeated North Bay 7-2. Morrison chipped in with two helpers on Saturday, setting up Nathan Staios for the overtime winner as the Dogs downed the Ottawa 67’s 4-3. Sunday featured another four-point effort with a goal and three assists, giving him an impressive 29 points in the month of February as the Bulldogs defeated Niagara 10-2.
A 19-year-old from Guelph, Ont., Morrison is sixth in OHL scoring with 75 points including 23 goals and 52 assists over 41 games with a League-leading plus/minus rating of plus-39. The 6-foot, 180Ib. centre has also won 56.6 percent of his faceoffs this season. Now in his third OHL season, Morrison has recorded 154 points (60-94–154) over 147 career regular season games. He was Hamilton’s first round (18th overall) pick in the 2018 OHL Priority Selection from the Guelph Gryphons U16 program. He attended training camp with the Los Angeles Kings last fall.
Also considered for the award this week, 2022 NHL Draft prospect Michael Buchinger recorded 11 points (2-9–11) over four games from the blue line as the Guelph Storm played to a 3-0-1-0 mark. Bulldogs blueliner Nathan Staios recorded nine points (3-6–9) over four games with a plus/minus rating of plus-8.
2021-22 OHL Players of the Week – Regular Season:
Feb. 21 – Feb. 27: Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs)
Feb. 14 – Feb. 20: Antonio Stranges (London Knights)
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Logan Morrison (Hamilton Bulldogs).
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Luke Evangelista (London Knights)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Brandt Clarke (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Riley Piercey (Flint Firebirds)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: David Goyette (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan 9: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: James Hardie (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Ty Tullio (Oshawa Generals)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Lucas Edmonds (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Wyatt Johnston (Windsor Spitfires)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Brennan Othmann (Flint Firebirds)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Brandon Coe (North Bay Battalion)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Antonio Stranges (London Knights)
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Shane Wright (Kingston Frontenacs)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Tucker Robertson (Peterborough Petes)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Rory Kerins (Soo Greyhounds)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Calum Ritchie (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Jack Thompson (Sudbury Wolves)
Frontenacs’ Leevi Merilainen Named OHL Goaltender of the Week
Ottawa Senators prospect Leevi Merilainen of the Kingston Frontenacs is the OHL Goaltender of the Week after going 3-0 with a 1.33 goals-against average and .948 save percentage.
Merilainen stopped 73 of 77 shots, helping the Frontenacs defeat Ottawa with 26 saves on Family Day before claiming back-to-back wins over Oshawa. Merilainen stood tall on TSN Friday night, stopping 25 of 27 as the Frontenacs defeated the Generals 6-2. He turned aside 22 of 23 on the road Sunday night as the Frontenacs beat Oshawa 3-1.
A 19-year-old from Oulu, Finland, Merilainen sits third in OHL wins with 24, playing to an overall record of 24-12-3-0 with a 3.43 goals-against average and .889 save percentage and two shutouts. The first-year goaltender was a third round (71st overall) pick of the Ottawa Senators in the 2020 NHL Draft, and signed an entry-level contract with the franchise on June 14, 2021. Merilainen was Kingston’s first round (48th overall) pick in the 2021 CHL Import Draft.
Also considered for the award this week, Flint Firebirds netminder Luke Cavallin went 3-0 with a 2.01 goals-against average and .936 save percentage, making 88 saves as the Firebirds defeated Sarnia three times. Michael Simpson of the Peterborough Petes went 2-0 with a 2.00 goals-against average and .948 save percentage, making 73 saves as the Petes prevailed over Barrie and Oshawa.
2021-22 OHL Goaltenders of the Week – Regular Season:
Feb. 21 – Feb. 27: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Feb. 14 – Feb. 20: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Feb. 7 – Feb. 13: Pavel Cajan (Kitchener Rangers)
Jan. 31 – Feb. 6: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Jan. 24 – Jan. 30: Max Donoso (Ottawa 67’s)
Jan. 17 – Jan. 23: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Jan. 10 – Jan. 16: Mitchell Weeks (Sudbury Wolves)
Jan. 3 – Jan. 9: Nolan Lalonde (Erie Otters)
Dec. 27 – Jan. 2: Joe Ranger (Mississauga Steelheads)
Dec. 13 – Dec. 19: Owen Bennett (Guelph Storm)
Dec. 6 – Dec. 12: Mack Guzda (Barrie Colts)
Nov. 29 – Dec. 5: Leevi Merilainen (Kingston Frontenacs)
Nov. 22 – Nov. 28: Tye Austin (Peterborough Petes)
Nov. 15 – Nov. 21: Ben Gaudreau (Sarnia Sting)
Nov. 8 – Nov. 14: Joe Vrbetic (North Bay Battalion
Nov. 1 – Nov. 7: Roman Basran (Mississauga Steelheads)
Oct. 25 – Oct. 31: Patrick Leaver (Oshawa Generals)
Oct. 18 – Oct. 24: Jacob Oster (Guelph Storm)
Oct. 11 – Oct. 17: Brett Brochu (London Knights)
Oct. 4 – Oct. 10: Tucker Tynan (Niagara IceDogs)
About the Ontario Hockey League
The Ontario Hockey League is a proud member of the Canadian Hockey League which is the world’s largest development hockey league with 60 teams in nine Canadian provinces and four American states. In addition to the OHL, the CHL is made up of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League and the Western Hockey League. The CHL supplies more players to the National Hockey League and U SPORTS than any other league.
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